A segment mold comprises a plurality of separate parts which, by being brought closer to one another, define a virtually toric molding space. In particular, a segment mold has two lateral shells for molding the sidewalls of the tire, and a plurality of peripheral segments situated between the shells for molding the tread of the tire. These peripheral segments are distributed circumferentially at the edge of the shells.
In order to enable the mold to be opened and to make it easier to insert and/or extract the tire into/from the mold, the latter is generally equipped with various hydraulic cylinders acting on the various components that constitute the mold. In particular, the two shells, which are generally arranged horizontally, are connected to vertical actuators of a press and the various segments of the mold are connected to horizontal actuators of the press.
It therefore appears that the overall architecture of the vulcanizing mold from the prior art is relatively complex owing to the presence of various elements, each with different kinematics. Furthermore, the movements of the shells and the segments are multidirectional and hence relatively complex.